I feel your pain. Pilot makes some of the best introductory gold pens in the industry, but their European prices are terrible. The Decimo is a slightly thinner version of the Capless, so if you're okay with it, I think you can get it for a bit cheaper: Amazon. It's a bit hard to find really good deals on this pen because Japanese sellers aren't as keen to ship to Europe and the cheapest price seems to be the North American one. To date, the Vanishing Point is the only gold-nibbed Japanese pen that I bought off the official Amazon store as opposed to a Japanese Amazon seller.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Fountain Pens 2k16
- Thread starter Bagels
- Start date
That reminds me: I need to pick up one of those as well. Which color should I get, turquoise, white, or black? I used to have a transparent one.
TyrantGuardian
Member
Oh my god I just received my TWSBI Eco 1.1mm italic and loaded it up with Emerald of Chivor. Put some letters down on my Tomoe River paper. I thought I liked fountain pens a lot already... I think I love fountain pens. The grin on my face right now is something else.
Edit: Hahaha oh my god. My Leuchtturm bullet journal paper is being completely mutilated by this combo. I guess it won't write quite as wet once the ink has settled into the pen, but man - just regular cursive writing makes the ink bleed through. Two layers even bled through the Tomoe River paper, sheesh!
Edit: Hahaha oh my god. My Leuchtturm bullet journal paper is being completely mutilated by this combo. I guess it won't write quite as wet once the ink has settled into the pen, but man - just regular cursive writing makes the ink bleed through. Two layers even bled through the Tomoe River paper, sheesh!
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
This put a big grin on my face too so thanks for that.
LOL rekt!
[+1 to my internet cool points for using that phrase ^_^ ]
Seriously though, apart from putting down oodles of ink, how are you getting on with the nib? I have a TWSBI in a broad which I adore but am tempted to pick up another with a 1.1 stub nib.
TyrantGuardian
Member
Compared to my somewhat stubborn slow starter Metro Medium that requires a surprising amount of precision to write and my forgiving but squishy feeling Lamy Safari, I think it feels great! It definitely requires proper angle to actually write but once I hit it it almost literally writes by itself while still feeling "sharp" and responsive. Zero pressure and no skipping at all; like I said, it almost puts down WAY too much ink. Even doing small X shapes bled through the Leuchtturm.
Bitmap Frogs
Mr. Community
Those twsbi 1.1 are amaaaaazing.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
My wallet wishes I hadn't asked now! Great feedback, thanks. TWSBI should pay you commission
.Get behind me Satan thou foul temptress!
I was given a ystudio ballpoint as an amazing gift and I absolutely love it. They really do make beautiful pens. The prices are...yeah...but I can confirm that you do indeed get something really really nice for the money.
My ystudio ballpoint is the second heaviest pen I have and there is a huge gap between second and third place. I got into a little phase trying out pens made from different metals. I have a copper pen from kickstarter that I adore and which is amazingly heavy. I worry about it rolling off a counter and shattering my foot. It's amazing.
The ystudio is not quite in that same weapon class, but it is a real noticeable chunk of pen. Every time someone borrows it to sign something, they invariably remark on how nice it feels. It really just feels like a luxurious pen. If you're fine with a heavier pen, the ystudio will be amazing. Some people will get almost instant hand cramps, so know what you're pining after!
I'm maybe ~75% convinced that I should bite the bullet and set up a website to review pens, paper, and ink. That sort of explains why I've been pretty quiet lately. I have all sorts of stuff to talk about (I won a small bottle of the next J. Herbin ink release and it is so cool!), but I'm tying to figure out if I should set up a place to do slightly longer form stuff in the tradition of my OPs. I love chatting with people in these threads, but I also really like the different experience of writing essays about things I'm passionate about. Anyway, I wanted to kind of post the idea to nudge myself another 10% towards actually doing it.
Get the color that you like. I on the other hand have all colors. Even replaced the white one I lost.
It could be worse - you could be into Deltas or Viscontis or something really expensive. I'm also pretty convinced that the Eco is the best TWSBI, so that'll save you a bunch of money.My wallet wishes I hadn't asked now! Great feedback, thanks. TWSBI should pay you commission
I'm somewhat leaning towards turquoise, but that may be a bit too loud. There's also a voice telling me that I already have too many pens (and I just got a new 3776 and a new Metro).
The turquoise one is a limited edition and will be sold out soon.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
I hope you work out something that accommodates all aspects of how you would like it to be and actually do it. A Bagels blog/site dedicated to pen/paper/ink nerdery is definitely relevant to my interests and something I would really love to see. You have a charming writing style and the internet would most certainly be a better place for such a blog/site. Good luck!
That's true; I hadn't thought of it that way. Hm, it seems to me that that means that I should buy that TWSBI Diamond 580AL Turquoise with a 1.1. stub nib. I don't need it but it's not an uber expensive pen and it's still a nice addition to my collection and it would look really lovely next to my TWSBI Diamond 580AL pink broad.
I am yet to pick up an Eco; none of the colour options really quite grab me enough. The clear one is pretty sexy looking though. Hopefully they will put out a colour that I just can't resist so I can see what all the fuss is about.
Splash Wave
Member
I recently rinsed out my Pilot Metropolitan after changing the ink cartridge, and now I'm having trouble getting the ink to flow properly; it's just coming out faintly. What could be causing this?
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
Did you disassemble it and rinse the components separately? I find that if don't do this water tends to remain in the pen and cause such issues. If you haven't done this my recommendation would be to fully disassemble, rinse [if necessary] dry the individual components [a piece of kitchen towel or cloth is sufficient], reassemble, charge the feed with ink and try again. Some pens are easier than others to get the ink flow going and I find it much easier with converters than cartridges. Hopefully that's helpful but please do shout if it's not that.
Splash Wave
Member
So, I tried all that, but I'm *still* having issues. This is so bizarre: the problem is the same despite changing inks, and despite cleaning every piece individually. Here's a more thorough history of what happened:
I was running out of ink, so I decided to switch cartridges. I saw this as a decent opportunity to wash the pen out, so I did so (but I didn't take it apart to the extent that is actually necessary). Ever since (and even after performing the second cleaning you suggested), I *can't* get the ink to flow properly.
edit: I think it's flowing better now, but I swear it doesn't feel quite like it used to...I'm tempted to just grab another pen since they're so cheap (and I wanted one for blue ink anyway).
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
Understood. I don't have a Metropolitan but do have a Pilot Kakuno, Prera and Plumix/Pluminix so expect its construction is pretty comparable.
Clearly not enough ink is getting through to the nib. Since it doesn't seem to be retained water/moisture it must be something else. I assume it's not dried out ink that is clogging it up as that would have been pretty obvious and your original question would have addressed that instead of a general 'it's not working right and I can't see why'.
I would think then that we have to try various methods of getting more ink through to the feed and nib. Here's what I would try:
i/ invert the pen [with the cap on] and leave it inverted for a few hours/overnight. If everything else is in order then gravity will get the ink to the feed and nib. However, if you don't want to wait try the following options.
ii/ if using a cartridge carefully check the end that connects to the pen and ensure that it is not obstructed. I had this issue the other day and after checking I was surprised that the end was only partially open so it was only allowing a dribble of ink through to the pen. After a quick poke to open it fully the pen worked like a charm.
iii/ With the cartridge securely connected to the pen invert it over something like a cloth or kitchen paper in case of drops and give the cartridge a good squeeze to force ink out of the cartridge to 'prime the feed' with ink. With really stubborn cartridges I have used my teeth to do this but great care to avoid an inky mouth is obviously required!
iv/ If using a converter use the same method as previously described but do the opposite action to that which is used to fill the converter. If it's a converter where you twist the end section then twist it to push the ink up into the pen and thus charge the feed.
v/ If you do all of the above and it's still not flowing nicely then check the nib for obstructions
vi/ If it's still not flowing well then gently tap the end of the nib on some scrap paper to encourage the ink flow. This is a 'ain't nobody got time for that' version of the gravity method
.vii/ hold the nib in some wet tissue paper. This should encourage the ink to flow through to the tissue.
viii/ wetting the top of the nib can also help here. You might want to use some tap water but I just shove a finger in my mouth to moisten it.
One or more of the above should resolve ink flow generally for me. If not then ensuring the feed and the nib are aligned correctly might be required. In good lighting, have a close look at the hole on the top of the nib. You should see that below that there is a line on the feed. This needs to be aligned in the centre of the hole so that the ink will flow along the feed to the tipping point i.e. the end of the nib that touches the paper.
Hopefully this should more than cover it but if not then you might have to delve into checking that the tines are not misaligned. Hopefully however that is fun for another day
.There's nothing wrong with your pen. Usually what happens when you insert a cartridge into a pen, it'll take some time for the ink to work its way through the feed before you can start writing. In this case, you probably still have some water trapped in the feed after you rinsed it, and this water is diluting the ink, giving you that washed out look. What I tend to do to avoid this is to let all of the components dry before inserting any cartridges.
Splash Wave
Member
You're both saints, honestly.
And I do think that water is the culprit. If it's diluting the ink, will that resolve itself, or do i need to change cartridges entirely? I just took the pen apart and there was somehow still some moisture gathered on the outside of the ink cartridge itself, which is bizarre to me.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
It won't do any harm so I would just keep going. I don't think changing to a new cartridge will help. Then you would just have two cartridges on the go and you can only use one at a time in that pen. If you haven't already then it's worth disassembling the pen again and giving it a thorough dry. I have found through issues such as you describe that using kitchen paper works best for me, primarily because it can be twisted into helpful shapes to get right into the inside of the pen components that are tricky to access. Don't forget the lid and barrel either as water can lurk there and prolong the issue. I have found that when I have had this issue in the past the water will clear out of the pen's system fairly quickly. Then ink might be slightly diluted for awhile but I just doodle or write something where it doesn't matter if it doesn't look 100% until it's flowing as it should.
Having more than one pen to go to is helpful as one pen can be rinsed and left to dry fully. That might just be a bit of self justification as to why I have so many though
.Splash Wave
Member
It won't do any harm so I would just keep going. I don't think changing to a new cartridge will help. Then you would just have two cartridges on the go and you can only use one at a time in that pen. If you haven't already then it's worth disassembling the pen again and giving it a thorough dry. I have found through issues such as you describe that using kitchen paper works best for me, primarily because it can be twisted into helpful shapes to get right into the inside of the pen components that are tricky to access. Don't forget the lid and barrel either as water can lurk there and prolong the issue. I have found that when I have had this issue in the past the water will clear out of the pen's system fairly quickly. Then ink might be slightly diluted for awhile but I just doodle or write something where it doesn't matter if it doesn't look 100% until it's flowing as it should.
Having more than one pen to go to is helpful as one pen can be rinsed and left to dry fully. That might just be a bit of self justification as to why I have so many though
Much obliged! I think everything is mostly working as normal now, so my fiddling (as per your suggestions) probably helped in some way.
To your point, I did just order a second Metropolitan to use with blue ink.
Splash Wave
Member
Now that I've been looking at JetPens again, I kind of want to buy *another* penmaybe something expensive-ish? Would I be stupid to buy something like this?
https://www.jetpens.com/Sailor-Pro-...anyou-Metallic-Green-Medium-Fine-Nib/pd/16788
https://www.jetpens.com/Sailor-Pro-...anyou-Metallic-Green-Medium-Fine-Nib/pd/16788
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
Sailors are great pens! They write a little differently than other manufacturers though - the nibs tend to be described as 'nails', very little in the way of softness or give under normal writing pressure. If you don't mind some feedback from the pen, you really can't go wrong.
My current grail is the Four Seasons Yukitsubaki, which is identical in form and function to your Manyou edition. They're basically just fancy Pro Gear Slims, which are one of their more popular models. You could save a tiny little bit by going with a regular model, but what's the fun in that?? The beauty of the pen you choose is part of the fun in collecting.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
Much obliged! I think everything is mostly working as normal now, so my fiddling (as per your suggestions) probably helped in some way.
To your point, I did just order a second Metropolitan to use with blue ink.
\o/ Funnily enough your issue with ink flow/dilution has made me realise how far I've come in a short time with fountain pens. When I first encountered issues they made me feel quite anxious as I didn't know what to do and felt a bit stupid, frankly. However, asking on here and lots of googling really helped. Most of all however it was encountering issues and trying different things to see what worked best for me. Now I just tend to do things automatically so it is really nice to be reminded of how much I have learnt
.Congrats on the new Metro
. It's always nice to have at least a couple of pens to go to. It gets even more convenient when one becomes a bit of an ink tart with lots of different inks to get to! I just bought myself some more Pilots myself funnily enough.I don't have anything that expensive yet but there are regulars ITT that will certainly be better placed to advise you on that. I haven't spent more than £60 on a pen yet so it's not necessary but everyone's situation is unique and needs to be judged by the individual concerned. There is certainly no harm in considering it though
.Splash Wave
Member
I was looking at that one, too, and it's so gorgeous. I wonder if I wouldn't like the Medium nib, though? How does that compare to the fine Pilot Metropolitan?
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
Nib sizes aren't an exact science, lots of variation between different manufacturers using the same size ratings make it difficult to really get a perfect feel for how big or small nibs are in comparison. However! Goulet's Nib Nook has some old data for the Pro Gear Slim Medium and Fine nibs that I snuggled the Metro Fine between:
The Medium Fine is a hair smaller than the Medium, but not quite a Fine, so imagine the line being somewhere between the two Sailor models used above. This comparison I dug up on reddit shows how close the MF runs to Fine, which isn't to my liking as much. I looooooove shading in my inks, and thinner lines don't allow for that. But for you, it might be thin enough!
Splash Wave
Member
Nib sizes aren't an exact science, lots of variation between different manufacturers using the same size ratings make it difficult to really get a perfect feel for how big or small nibs are in comparison. However! Goulet's Nib Nook has some old data for the Pro Gear Slim Medium and Fine nibs that I snuggled the Metro Fine between:
The Medium Fine is a hair smaller than the Medium, but not quite a Fine, so imagine the line being somewhere between the two Sailor models used above. This comparison I dug up on reddit shows how close the MF runs to Fine, which isn't to my liking as much. I looooooove shading in my inks, and thinner lines don't allow for that. But for you, it might be thin enough!
Thank you so much for providing the comparison! It's tough--I don't think I'd want anything thicker than Pilot's "Fine," but it's hard to say without actually trying the alternative.
Can anyone recommend Metropolitan upgrade (either Sailor or Pilot) that might also fit the bill? I'm interested in making a frivolous and unnecessary pen purchase!
That's a great pen! I have the exact same thing except in Fine. It's the first gold-nib I ever purchased, and it's still one of my favorites. Note that you may want to check out Amazon - you can often get deals from Japanese sellers for a lot less than you'd pay in North America. The same goes for Platinum and Pilot pens as well.
The feedback is pretty noticeable, but I definitely wouldn't characterize it as a nail. That's more Platinum territory (although those are pretty amazing as well!).
Oh, nice! I'm aiming for a Sailor Profit 21 myself. It's a Sailor 1911 Large, but with a 21k gold nib instead of the regular 14k ones. I'll probably pick it up after I (eventually) get my Eco.
I have a Sailor Pro Gear fine, a Metropolitan fine, and a Metropolitan Medium in front of me right now. The Sailor writes a line in between the two Metros, so I'd imagine that a medium fine will be just about as heavy as the Metro medium.
The general rule of thumb is that it's better to use as wide a nib as your writing can comfortably handle because a heavier line will be better at bringing out shading, sheen, and the more subtle colors. By the latter, I can use my Sailor as an example. Right now, it's filled with Sailor Miruai, a very dark green-black ink. With the fine nib, this ink looks black instead of the green-black under most circumstances. If I were to put the ink in a pen with a heavier line, more of its proper color should show through.
I've heard that you can try writing the letter "a" multiple times. If you can see the white inside the loop, then that pen should be fine for you. I started out preferring fine nibs, but I've firmly moved to medium nibs now. I'm even trying out broad nibs to see if I can handle them. Note though that this is for writing Latin characters. If you're writing in Japanese or Chinese, a fine nib will probably work better.
The problem here is that the Metro is underpriced in North America. You'd be pretty hard pressed to find something that writes better unless you go to gold nibs. If you want to go that route, I like the Japanese pens: the Sailor Pro Gear Slim you were looking at, Platinum 3776, Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Vanishing Point, or maybe the Lamy 2000. You can find some 3776s on Amazon for really cheap, so that may be a good choice. Bear in mind though that it has a harder point than just about any other gold nib out there.
If you want to stick to steel nibs, I'd recommend the TWSBI Eco. It doesn't necessarily write better than the Metro, but it's really cheap for a piston filler, and it can look really great with the ink sloshing inside it. If you're using a darker shade, it will look best if you don't have it completely filled!
An oddball choice might be picking up a Pilot Elite off of eBay. They should run around $30, and they're a really cool pen for that price. These pens are apparently made by Pilot Korea (a different company from Pilot Japan) and date from the '70s. They've never been used though, and they write great!
Splash Wave
Member
Of those you've listed, I think the Platinum 3776 looks the most interesting from a history and design perspective. That thing is gorgeous, and I love the story behind it.
Now, I really wish I could actually try the thing in person, as I'm getting thrown by all of the different nib options, like "soft fine." In response to your first post, would sticking to fine be better if I'm also writing in Japanese, occasionally? Of course, I'm mostly writing in English, but I also practice writing Kanji here and there, and I suspect doing so with a thicker nib would be a challenge.
Also, I write in a Hobonichi Techo every day, which requires me to write very tiny characters!
Unless you're just writing in hiragana and katakana, I'd say that wider nibs aren't an option at all! The reason why Japanese nibs tend to be finer than German or Italian ones is because you just can't write kanji with a heavier line. You might be able to get away with a medium nib - just get something really cheap like a Kakuno or Preppy and try it out before investing in something more expensive.
As for soft fine vs. fine, the only soft fine I've ever tried out is on the Pilot Custom 74, but Platinum nibs are different to begin with so I don't know what it's going to be like. I'd assume that the one on the Platinum will be more like a regular fine gold nib, but I'm just guessing. Eventually, everyone has a different feel for what's going to work best. Unless you can go to a good pen shop, the only way to know for sure is to take the plunge!
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
It might be a little showy, but the green I'm in love with right now is Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu. Lovely pine color and it has this amazing red/brown sheen that I can't get enough of. (It's muted here because lol Moleskine notebook.)
I know this is rather LTTP but I just wanted to thank you for this post. I came across it recently and it reminded me that I had yet to try any Sailor inks. An order of Tokiwa-Matsu, Oku-Yama and Yama-dori resulted from my googling/ruminating and I just inked up a couple of new Pluminixes with the first two. They are both really nice inks that I am glad to have in my ink armoury, especially the Tokiwa-Matsu. Hopefully the Yama-dori will arrive next week so I can try that one too. Being into fountain pens is such a great hobby. We get to play with such lovely inks! =)
perfect free
Member
I'm an enabler! =D Oh, you're gonna love Yama-Dori when you try it out. I base that on nothing else but how much I love it, of course, but shouldn't that be enough?
It's funny looking at that picture, which I think is from last year sometime. I've completely changed my writing style (I'm a lefty and I used to hook my hand over the line to avoid smearing, which was kind of awful and tired out my wrist; now I write underneath the line instead) and come to prefer finer nibs. The end result is that my journal entries are written smaller, neater, and not quite as bold italic as they used to be. My cursive is still terrible, though. Some things never change.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
You certainly are!
I had always intended to pick up some Sailor ink but when I saw your post again recently I couldn't help but be struck by what an attractive ink it was. The other two inks were more of an indulgent purchase. However I have really taken to Oku-Yama too so fully expect to love Yama-Dori to complete the set. I just had a look at a list I wrote with four different colours/inks to visually separate the list into sub sections and it is striking how different they are. Right now however I am adoring the rather muted and understated Sailor inks with their lovely shading.Oh I am glad that you are happier with your handwriting now, especially if it is less taxing physically. I thought your script was really rather handsome though and certainly more pleasing to my eye than the scrawl that I posted a few posts after yours, ironically enough. I too have been working on my script and am glad to say that it is incrementally improving although progress is far slower than I would like. Old, habitual movements die hard though and it is all too easy to regress to those if I write too quickly. I still struggle with cursive though so I can empathise with you there. I wish you well with your further endeavours
.
Bitmap Frogs
Mr. Community
I finally picked up the TWSBI Eco in white, and I think it looks even better than the clear one I got last year. It writes wetter than I remembered, but it's pretty great. I also got a bottle of Rouge Hermatite; it'd be prefect for the red 3776. The main problem I have is finding a chance to use them all!
Does anyone know of an online retailer in North America that sells Bungbox 4B for a reasonable price? I'd love a bottle of that without trading in a kidney. And for anyone wondering, it looks like Wonderpens.ca has Sailor Sky High in stock! That ink has been out of production for a while, and I'm not seeing it in many other places.
Sailor inks might be my second favorite; after the Pilot ones. There have been rightful accolades for Tokiwa-Matsu and Yama-Dori, so I'm going to sing for Miruai. It's a very dark green-black that looks pure black in certain light. What you've got with it is an ink that's perfectly work appropriate, but has a bit of pizzazz over regular black. (And it lets you thumb your nose against office rules!)
Does anyone know of an online retailer in North America that sells Bungbox 4B for a reasonable price? I'd love a bottle of that without trading in a kidney. And for anyone wondering, it looks like Wonderpens.ca has Sailor Sky High in stock! That ink has been out of production for a while, and I'm not seeing it in many other places.
My only problem with Yama-Dori is that it looks so much like J. Herbin Emerald de Chivor that I don't really want to shell out for the latter.
Ok pen gaf. Slightly OT.
I had all three of my fountain pens run dry on me at work (or I neglected to fill them... semantics).
What are your top recommendations for a decent quality disposable pen in case of future emergency? Bonus points if it plays nice with Tomoe River paper.
I had all three of my fountain pens run dry on me at work (or I neglected to fill them... semantics).
What are your top recommendations for a decent quality disposable pen in case of future emergency? Bonus points if it plays nice with Tomoe River paper.
In general, I wouldn't use fountain pens for emergencies. They use water based ink, and that ink will dry over time if left unused. Most cap seals aren't tight enough that you can go weeks or months without writing with it. Therefore, your best bet would be a gel pen or a ballpoint. I like the Pilot G2 Pro, but you can just use cheap Bic Cristals or something like that. If you really want to use a fountain pen, the only real disposable on the market is the Pilot Varsity.
On the other end of the scale, you can get a Platinum 3776. It has a special cap seal and is advertised to keep your nib wet for 2 years! I don't know if it really lasts that long, but I've never had any starting issues with them. However, I wouldn't reserve a 3776 for emergencies, and it's definitely not a disposable!
I'm always surprised when my Platinum 3776 writes a perfect line right away, no matter how long it has been sitting on my desk. They aren't kidding around about that. It's scratchy for a gold nib, but if you're not looking for maximum smoothness, it's a great pen.
I agree with 4Tran that a fountain pen is never going to make a great backup pen. If you really want a disposable, Pilot Varisty/VPen is pretty good. Mrs. Bagels swears by them. They write pretty wet, so they'll dry very slowly on Tomoe River. On the other hand, the ink should look pretty nice!
I'm working on a ballpoint pen roundup right now. In the past, I've had some harsh words for the humble ballpoint pen, but I've come around a bit. I now have some pretty ballpoints that write pretty well.
The fisher bullet Space Pen is an EDC classic.
Thanks guys.
Sorry. I wasn't clear. Looking for opinions on a nice non-fountain pen to keep as a backup for if/when I let my pens run dry again. Something I can buy a box of and stash in my bag / study / office that is less shit than my scratchy work issue ballpoint.
I'd lean more towards gel, just because I've never really enjoyed using a ballpoint, but happy to try a few things if you have a particular favourite.
I'all look into the G2 and the space pen. Cheers.
Sorry. I wasn't clear. Looking for opinions on a nice non-fountain pen to keep as a backup for if/when I let my pens run dry again. Something I can buy a box of and stash in my bag / study / office that is less shit than my scratchy work issue ballpoint.
I'd lean more towards gel, just because I've never really enjoyed using a ballpoint, but happy to try a few things if you have a particular favourite.
I'all look into the G2 and the space pen. Cheers.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
Yama-dori GET!
I am a big fan of the Pilot Varsity/V-Pen. I used them exclusively for quite awhile when I wanted to get back into fountain pens and my old Waterman was acting up. I have one tucked into my shoulder bag for very occasional use when I am out and about and need a pen and it is perfect for that purpose. It's cheap enough that I would not mourn its loss but writes as well as my other fountain pens at the inexpensive end of the scale and writes quite happily despite being neglected for weeks at a time. The bang for your buck proposition with them is just insane. It would always be my first recommendation if someone is looking to try a fountain pen to see if they liked it or wanted something inexpensive and lose-able without woe.
Good news re the ballpoint round-up. I have coveted a Space Pen for awhile purely because it is such a sexy shape. I am yet to come up with a justification for one other than that though
EDIT- have a look at the buying guides on JetPens, maven:
https://www.jetpens.com/blog/guides/ct/9
They give really helpful, comprehensive buying guides on lots of different subjects. I often consult them when I want to get my head around a particular purchase. I was using them recently for deciding which paper/notebooks would work best for me, for example.
If you enjoy writing with a fountain pen, I'd go with the pilot hi-tecpoint v5. It's a disposable liquid ink needlepoint/rollerball-ish thing (?) and very smooth to write with. It's similar to a fountain pen in that the ink just flows as you write, so you don't need to exert pressure like you do with ballpoint. I think it would be suitable for any situation in which a fountain pen would be good (so not for carbon layers, extremely absorbent paper, or masking tape, etc).
Both of my 3776s have been super reliable. Then again, the only gold nib pens that I've seen starting issues with are the Vanishing Point because it doesn't have a traditional cap and the Pilot Custom 823 because it's a vacuum filler. The funny thing about Platinum is that they have a premium pen, the President, and it doesn't have the same cap and seal system that the 3776 has so its nib is apparently much more prone to drying out.
Try Amazon Japan. Lamy is really uptight about their products and how they're exported so it's really hard to buy from a different territory.
I recently found myself in a position to buy a nice new pen. Coincidentally, I received an email from Franklin-Christoph saying that a pen I was on a waitlist for was now available. So I'm now the proud owner of a new limited edition FC Model 20! I'll grab some pictures this weekend. For now, here are FC's pics:
It's a fairly plain pen, except for the Tibaldi Impero celluloid finial. The celluloid is absolutely gorgeous - I envy the people who have full pens made of this. It feels really nice, too. It's impossibly smooth and mesmerizing. I can see why people get into celluloid pens.
I own two FC pens (they are probably my two favorite pens in my collection) and both times I ordered, I really agonized over the nib choices. This time, I settled on a steel Fine Cursive Italic Masuyama grind. This may be the best nib I own, beating out even the gold nibs from Pilot, Lamy, and Platinum in my collection. It's super smooth but still has some nice line variation. I'll go for stub or italic nibs every time if I have the option. I think they really suit my handwriting and tend to be wet enough to bring out the shading and sheen in my favorite inks. The trade-off is generally the loss of super duper smoothness. But man, this nib delivers on all counts. The Masuyama grinds are definitely worth the money in my experience.
I love Franklin-Christoph pens, with the downside being that they make the coolest ones in small batches. I guess you really want to catch them at a pen show to get access to their coolest stuff. I like a good matte black pen as much as the next guy, but if I'm investing in a pen at this point, I'm really looking for something unique. It's worth signing up for waiting lists and checking in on the FC website to see when they'll have some special editions up for sale.
It's a fairly plain pen, except for the Tibaldi Impero celluloid finial. The celluloid is absolutely gorgeous - I envy the people who have full pens made of this. It feels really nice, too. It's impossibly smooth and mesmerizing. I can see why people get into celluloid pens.
I own two FC pens (they are probably my two favorite pens in my collection) and both times I ordered, I really agonized over the nib choices. This time, I settled on a steel Fine Cursive Italic Masuyama grind. This may be the best nib I own, beating out even the gold nibs from Pilot, Lamy, and Platinum in my collection. It's super smooth but still has some nice line variation. I'll go for stub or italic nibs every time if I have the option. I think they really suit my handwriting and tend to be wet enough to bring out the shading and sheen in my favorite inks. The trade-off is generally the loss of super duper smoothness. But man, this nib delivers on all counts. The Masuyama grinds are definitely worth the money in my experience.
I love Franklin-Christoph pens, with the downside being that they make the coolest ones in small batches. I guess you really want to catch them at a pen show to get access to their coolest stuff. I like a good matte black pen as much as the next guy, but if I'm investing in a pen at this point, I'm really looking for something unique. It's worth signing up for waiting lists and checking in on the FC website to see when they'll have some special editions up for sale.
TaroYamada
Member
I wasn't into fountain pens until recently, one of my coworkers was using a Pilot -- and then I remembered I was gifted a Cross Century II for graduating college and I'd never used it.
It's a great pen and beautiful to boot.
It's a great pen and beautiful to boot.
Any Questions
Member
Agreed. A ton of good info in this thread.